"Seth, what are you doing?"

I have had to ask myself this question many times. I asked it during my final weeks at college; the "will I ever get this done?" weeks. I asked this question on a fire this summer, while swallowing chunks of steak by the light of my headlamp, and looking at the people all around me who quickly became a pack of wolves at dinner. And now, I'm asking the question again as I prepare myself for a yearlong (maybe longer), round-the-world journey, that begins in New Zealand on New Year's Eve.

Here are two related little facts: (1) other than Canada, I have never traveled internationally, and (2) I'm traveling alone.

I think I've come to the conclusion that I am not a very logical person. Now, don't get the wrong picture of me. I am definitely a reasonable (and I hope an intelligent) person, but reason is a relative way of going about things. I can reason myself to the point of finding sanity in the midst of what others see as insanity, but this does not make me sane nor does this mean that there is always a logical explanation for my risks.

Ah well. I have had the travel bug for quite some time now and having satiated some of its thirst for the United States, I am now itching to take my backpack and my camera to the opposite side of the globe.

I have tossed around trip ideas like this one for quite some time, in fact, I almost quit school freshman year to go to Fiji for 3 months. All I wanted to do was surf, fish, and figure things out. But I didn't leave school, which for me was a good decision, and instead I pushed my travel plans back until after graduation. Gradually, through three years of daydreaming, this Fijian escape has evolved into a dream of long-term travel. You may be wondering how a 3 month vacation in Fiji turned into a plan year-long adventure. If you are, its basically as simple as this: I really wanted to see New Zealand, and Thailand, and India looked amazing, and so did Syria, and Italy, and Ireland too. So with this thought, I decided to visit the places in between and make my way from New Zealand, to Thailand, from Thailand all the way across Asia, into Africa, then north into Europe before someday its time to go back home.

After buying a one-way plane ticket to Auckland, and a one-way to Bangkok; after calling consulates and talking to travel insurance companies; after packing my one backpack that will carry everything I need with a couple things I don't; after all this thought, and very sporadic, open-ended planning; its wild to think that in less than a week I will be on a 23 hour long trip from Chicago to Auckland.

Through this blog, I hope to keep all of you slightly up to date with where I am in the world and what I am doing, as well as what I am learning. At times I know this trip will be extremely taxing on my mind and body, but I am convinced that every minute will be completely worth the effort. Going into this journey, I know my greatest ally is cultural sensitivity and the important understanding that I know nothing. This philosophy is not meant to downgrade the level of my knowledge and intelligence, but in admitting to myself that I know very little of this world, I am given the opportunity to learn everything.

This is what I know.

In finishing this first entry, I want to thank my family for giving me the drive and independence for this undertaking and for always providing support, even when I have crazy ideas.

Thank you so much to all of you who are reading this. You have contributed to who I am. Some, in more ways than others, but all have made an impact. I will never be able to put together all the tiny seemingly random pieces but everything is relevant, therefore I carry with me on this trip a part of each of you.

Lastly, I thank God, who without, this would otherwise be impossible.

Its time.